A Response Of Saving Faith-3 Series

A RESPONSE Of SAVING FAITH-III—Hebrews 11:3-40

Attention:

Faith’s response to life’s challenges

Dan Cathy—CEO of Chick-Fil-A—made the following statements to the SBC’s Baptist Press on July 16, 2012:

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, & we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized.

"We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values & operate on biblical principles."

It created a firestorm among the LGBT community, who are now obviously aligned against the truth of Scripture. As a result, certain mayors(Chicago, Boston, et al.) declared that they would not allow Chick-Fil-A restaurants to operate in their respective towns.

This, in turn, led Mike Huckabee(formerly a Baptist minister, former Presidential candidate, & present Conservative talk-show host) to establish Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day on August 1st.

Admitted many are on the bandwagon for Chick-Fil-A for political or economic reasons. but the fact remains that the FAITH of both the Owner(Truett) & CEO(Dan) is key to the manner in which their restaurant is run.

We indeed bring something of value to the table when we are saved!

Need:

The Hebrews writer sought to encourage & exhort his readers(hearers) by recounting the very practical responses which faith had wrought in their forebears/ancestors.

Saving faith yields practical responses to life, which encourage others.

What are some practical responses to life by saving faith?

How does saving faith respond to life?

Previously in Hebrews, we found 5(6) responses to life’s challenge afforded by saving faith.

Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

1. A PARTICULAR WORLDVIEW(:3)—Concept presented 05/20/2012 with 10:39—11:3 as FELLOWSHIP

2. OFFERINGs Of PECULIAR QUALITY(:4)

3. DESIRE For GOD’s PLEASURE(:5-6)

4. CONDEMNING TRUST(:7)

5. A PARTICULAR PLACE(:8-10)

6. A PARTICULAR OUTLOOK(:11-12)

7—Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

A Particular VISION(:13-16)

Explanation:(:13-16)

:13—“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth.”

All the previously mentioned saints of God(:4-12) including Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Sarah all “died in faith.”

“Faith” does not guarantee eternal life in the flesh on this earth. Faith absolutely secures eternal life in resurrected flesh on the New Earth(Rev. 21:1-2).

Rom. 5:17—“For if by the one man’s offense[Adam] death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace & of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”

“All these” “died in faith” without receiving what was promised. This fact was evidenced by two things...:

1)They all envisioned the promises & they welcomed what was promised from a distance—i.e., they knew they were future, were absolutely convinced of their occurrence & found joy in knowing that they would occur. They knew the promises would be fulfilled & This fact caused them to live in view of the promises as a certainty.

2)They all confessed/lived as if/ they were “strangers” & resident foreigners on the earth.

Jn. 17:13-16—““But now I come to You, & these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; & the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

“Died”—apoynhskw—1) To die—1a) Of the natural death of man, 1b) Of the violent death of man or animals, 1c) To perish by means of something, 1d) Of trees which dry up, of seeds which rot when planted, 1e) Of eternal death, to be subject to eternal misery in hell. Strong—To die off (literally or figuratively).

“Received”—lambanw—1) To take; 2) To receive(what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively[properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove].

“Promises”—epaggelia—1) Announcement; 2) Promise—2a) The act of promising, a promise given or to be given, 2b) A promised good or blessing. An announcement (for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good).